INDEPENDENTS ACTION ALERT!

Keep Independent Voices in the Debates!

At the conclusion of the July 12th NAACP candidate forum in Detroit, Sen. Hillary Clinton and former Sen. John Edwards “privately” discussed their interest in narrowing the participants in future debates. This exchange took place after a forum in which Senator Mike Gravel delivered a sharp critique of the role President Bill Clinton played in enacting NAFTA and Congressman Dennis Kucinich criticized the “top tiers” record on issues of voter fraud.

Watch the Clinton/Edwards interchange.

The exchange between Clinton and Edwards—in which they discuss the need to eliminate "unserious" candidates from future televised debates—has become news. Fox has done a televised segment, and an AP story is circulating widely.

Now it's time for the voice of independent voters to be heard!

The Democratic National Committee (DNC) has scheduled a debate every month until the end of the year. This is an important moment for independents to let DNC Chair Howard Dean know that we do not want him to eliminate the independent voices from the presidential debates!

Here is how you can take action:


1. Call/E-mail/Fax Howard Dean (and please cc national@cuip.org on any letters you send) to let him know that you support the continued participation of ALL the Democratic candidates in the debates. Below is a sample letter and information on how to contact Dean.

2. Contact people in your network and ask them to do the same. Forward them this e-mail so they can express their support for keeping the debates open.

3. If you are new to us, sign up to be a part of the independent movement and receive regular e-mail updates.

Please send your e-mail or letter today and start your outreach to your networks. If you have questions or thoughts about other ways to help, please call Nancy Ross at 212-609-2800.

Sample E-mail, Fax, or Letter
Dear Chairman Howard Dean,
I am outraged at Senator Clinton’s and Edward’s conversation at the close of the NAACP forum about narrowing the field for upcoming debates.
In my opinion, candidates such as Dennis Kucinich and Mike Gravel play a very important role in broadening the debate on crucial issues. Their exclusion would be bad for the democratic process and would shut down important conversation.
I urge you to make sure the debates remain open and inclusive of all the candidates.
Name and State

Contact Howard Dean and the Democratic National Committee

Email: Deanh@DNC.org
Phone: 202-863-8000
Fax: 202-863-8174

Jackie Salit on The Heartland with John Kasich

Action Item

We need to raise our individual concerns to the national stage. We need to make so much noise that the mainstream media can no longer ignore our movement or ignore independent candidates. Letters to the editor are a great way we can each play a part. Write your own letter to your local newspaper or television/radio station, or cut and paste the following letter, adding the correct name of the organization you are addressing. Feel free to add to this letter or change it in any way you like.

I appreciate the attention (fill in the name of your local newspaper or television/radio station) gives to the local and state elections. However, (fill in the name of your local newspaper or television/radio station) is lacking ~ even negligent in its attention to independent/third-party candidates and issues. I would like to see equal attention payed to all of the candidates and issues on the ballot. Failing that responsibility to give equal time to all options and opinions seriously diminishes my respect for (fill in the name of your local newspaper or television/radio station) as a comprehensive news source. A third of the country identify themselves as independents and our issues and candidates should not be ignored.

No On Amendment 3

Sometimes politicians are so intrenched with special interest and outdated ideologies that they are either incapable or unwilling to act. For this reason, Florida's Constitution allows for citizens initiatives to make changes to the Florida Constitution. This process has served Florida well in the past by achieving such changes as term limits, smaller classrooms, tax caps, and open government, to name but a few.

This important tool of democracy is in jeopardy. If approved, Amendment No. 3 on the November 7 ballot would make it harder for voters to petition for changes in the law by requiring a super-majority (60%) in order to enact future initiatives.

Sunshine Independents stands against this attempt to restrict democracy and we urge all Florida voters to vote no on amendment 3.

The Pitfalls of Electronic Voting

Princeton University demonstrats the pitfalls of electronic voting. More information on this demonstration can be found at http://itpolicy.princeton.edu/voting/

Action Item!

Sunshine Independents applauds U.S. District Judge Patricia Seitz for striking down a law that would have seriously limited the right of non-partisan organizations to help in the voter registration process. "If third-party voter registration organizations permanently cease their voter registration efforts, Florida citizens will be stripped of an important means and choice of registering to vote and of associating with one another," Seitz wrote.

The law would have levied heavy fines and imposed strict restrictions on non-partisan organization who help register Florida voters.

State officials vowed the decision would be appealed to the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. "At this point, we respectfully disagree with the ruling and plan to take the issue up on appeal," said Sterling Ivey, spokesman for Florida Secretary of State Sue Cobb, whose office oversees elections.

Sunshine Independents urge our members to take action on this issue by writing to Secretary of State Sue Cobb and Govonor Bush and ask them to respect Judge Seitz's ruling.

It was shameful that this law was ever enacted in the first place. That shame should not be continued by appealing this ruling.

Sue M. Cobb
Secretary of State
Florida Department of State
R. A. Gray Building
500 S. Bronough St.
Tallahassee, FL 32399-0250
Phone: 850 245 6500

Governor Jeb Bush
The Capitol
400 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399
Phone: 850 488 7146
Fax: 850 487 0801

Mission Statement

The mission of Sunshine Independents is to reform the political processes of Florida with the goal of creating better access and representation to the growing number of Independent voters in our state. We seek to bring reform minded individuals together across party lines and across ideologies.

Sunshine Independents is an organization that seeks to provide voice to Florida’s independent voters. Independent voters, by definition, reject party affiliation. In acknowledgment of that fact, Sunshine Independents is not a party. Rather, we are a resource dedicated to provide independent voters the structural assets of a traditional political party without the constraints of party affiliation that our members reject.

19% of Florida voters are registered as independents – that’s over 2 million Floridians. In addition, there are many more who remain registered as Democrats and Republicans but consider themselves independent. We welcome any voters who support an end to political partisanship and corruption.

To that end, we support the following principles or reform:

• Open Primaries – advocate that Florida election law be changed to allow independent voters to vote in primary elections and the right of voters of all parties to vote across party lines.

• Open Debates – allow all ballot-qualified candidates in all local, state, and national election access to debates. Acceptance of participation in an election should constitute willingness to debate one’s opponents.

• Redistricting – support for an independent redistricting commission which should include independent representatives not affiliated with either party.

• Representation – Florida’s Secretary of State Division of Elections is notoriously partisan, run solely by the party in power and locally by Democrats and Republicans. Independents should be included on Boards of Elections.

• Fair Elections – we seek the reform of our election process to preserve the rights of every voter by advocating same day registration, instant run-off voting, and the development of a fraud-proof paper trail to ensure the integrity of our elections.

• Referendums – preserve the constitutional right of Florida voters to seek change through the voter referendum process.

• Independent Registration – In Florida, independent voters are shutout of primary elections and this undoubtedly discourages many of us from declaring our status as independents. As of now, independents can only register as “No Party Affiliation.” While this establishes that they do not want to join the Democratic or Republican Party, we believe independents should have the right to register as an “Independent” voter.

• Term Limits – Floridians have voted twice in referendums to maintain term limits for state legislatures. We support term limits and oppose any attempts to extend legislative terms or rewrite the laws regarding term limits.